India Thrash Pakistan for 55 as Wahab Riaz Still Backs Pakistan in Asia Cup
India produced a dominant performance against Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, winning by seven wickets after bowling their rivals out for just 55 runs in Dubai.
The result was one of the most one-sided matches of the tournament so far. Pakistan’s batting struggled against India’s disciplined spin attack, while India completed the chase in only 8.4 overs. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were the main stars with the ball, taking three wickets each.
Despite the heavy defeat, Pakistan team mentor Wahab Riaz remained confident about his team’s chances of winning the tournament. He said Pakistan were still the best side in the Asia Cup and believed the conditions could suit them.
The statement came immediately after Pakistan recorded their lowest-ever T20I total. India’s victory also strengthened their position at the top of Group A and confirmed their place in the semi-finals.
India vs Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup 2026: Match Overview
The India vs Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, September 5.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. The decision initially appeared reasonable, but their innings soon turned into a major batting collapse.
Pakistan reached 27 without losing a wicket before Muneeba Ali was dismissed. After that wicket, India’s bowlers took control of the match.
Shree Charani and Prema Rawat used the conditions extremely well. Their accurate spin bowling made it difficult for Pakistan’s batters to score freely or build partnerships.
Pakistan were eventually dismissed for only 55 runs in 18.1 overs.
India then needed only 56 runs to win. Although Pakistan captain Fatima Sana took three Indian wickets, there was never serious doubt about the result. India reached 57 for three in just 8.4 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur finished unbeaten on 18, while Charani was named Player of the Match after an excellent bowling performance.
Pakistan All Out for 55: A Historic Batting Collapse
Pakistan’s 55-run total was the biggest talking point of the match.
The team started carefully, with Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar putting together 27 runs for the opening wicket. However, once India broke the partnership, Pakistan's batting order collapsed rapidly.
Muneeba scored 13 from 15 balls, while Shawaal made 14 from 14 deliveries.
No other Pakistan batter could build a meaningful innings.
India’s bowlers continued to attack the Pakistan batting lineup rather than allowing the pressure to disappear. Charani finished with three wickets for only seven runs, while Rawat took three wickets for nine runs.
Deepti Sharma also made an important contribution, taking two wickets for five runs.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 55 in 18.1 overs. According to reports, this became Pakistan women’s lowest-ever T20I total. Their previous lowest was 63 against India in the 2012 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup in Guangzhou.
This statistic shows just how serious the collapse was.
Shree Charani Leads India’s Spin Attack
Shree Charani was one of the biggest reasons for India’s comfortable victory.
The young spinner bowled with excellent control and gave Pakistan very few opportunities to attack. Her final figures of 3/7 from four overs were outstanding.
Charani was supported brilliantly by Prema Rawat, who took 3/9.
The two spinners created constant pressure, and Pakistan struggled to find gaps or rotate the strike.
India’s spin attack also demonstrated the importance of adapting to conditions. The Dubai surface offered assistance to slow bowlers, and India used that advantage much better than Pakistan.
Charani’s performance earned her the Player of the Match award. Reports after the match also highlighted how India’s spinners planned together before the game and then executed their strategy effectively.
Prema Rawat Provides Another Major Blow
Prema Rawat was another major reason Pakistan could not recover.
Her three wickets came at an important stage of the innings, when Pakistan needed someone to stay at the crease and rebuild.
Rawat gave away only nine runs in her four overs.
For India, the performance was another sign of the growing strength of their bowling options. The team did not have to depend on one individual bowler. Charani, Rawat and Deepti Sharma worked together to keep Pakistan under constant pressure.
India eventually completed the match with plenty of overs remaining.
India Chase 56 in Just 8.4 Overs
After bowling Pakistan out for 55, India needed only 56 runs for victory.
The chase was not completely perfect because Pakistan captain Fatima Sana took three Indian wickets. However, the target was so small that Pakistan never looked capable of defending it.
India reached 57 for three in 8.4 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten on 18 and guided India across the finish line.
The fact that India chased the target with 68 balls remaining underlined the difference between the two teams on the night.
Wahab Riaz Says Pakistan Are Still the Best SideThe most surprising part of the match came after the final wicket.
Despite Pakistan’s record-low score and seven-wicket defeat, Wahab Riaz said he still believed Pakistan were the best side in the Women’s Asia Cup.
Riaz argued that Pakistan had talented players who needed to trust themselves. He also said the team would study its mistakes before facing Hong Kong.
His confidence was based partly on the belief that the tournament conditions could suit Pakistan.
Riaz said:
“I still believe Pakistan is the best side in this Asia Cup to lift the trophy because the conditions really suit us.”
His comments immediately attracted attention because they came after one of Pakistan’s worst T20I batting performances.
There is, however, a difference between supporting a team publicly and ignoring its weaknesses.
Pakistan clearly have talented players, but the defeat showed several areas that need improvement.
Can Pakistan Recover From the India Defeat?
Pakistan still have an opportunity to recover.
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board, Pakistan's next group match is against Hong Kong on September 7. The team had two points from two matches after the India defeat.
That match becomes extremely important.
Pakistan must improve their batting, particularly their ability to handle pressure after losing an early wicket.
Against India, the first wicket triggered a collapse. Instead of rebuilding, Pakistan continued to lose wickets.
A stronger team needs at least one or two batters capable of staying at the crease for 10 to 15 overs when the team is in trouble.
The Hong Kong match could therefore be an important test of Pakistan’s mental strength.
If they can win convincingly, they may regain confidence.
If they suffer another poor performance, their hopes of progressing further could become much more difficult.
WaRihab az Defends Major Squad Changes
Riaz was also questioned about criticism from former Pakistan captain Sana Mir.
Pakistan made major changes to their squad, with seven players left out. Sana Mir had questioned the decision to make such wholesale changes.
Riaz defended the selection policy.
He explained that Pakistan wanted to build a team for future tournaments and believed some established players had been given enough opportunities without producing the desired results.
According to Riaz, the changes were designed to bring younger players into the team and create a new group for upcoming competitions.
This is an important point in understanding Pakistan’s current situation.
A rebuilding process rarely produces immediate results.
Young players need time to adjust to international cricket. They also need consistent selection, coaching and opportunities to learn from difficult matches.
However, rebuilding does not mean results become unimportant.
Pakistan still need to compete successfully in major tournaments, and the 55-run collapse against India shows that the new group has plenty of work ahead.
India vs Pakistan Women — 3 Key Takeaways
1. India Continue to Hold the Advantage
India have continued to dominate Pakistan in recent Women’s Asia Cup meetings.
The latest seven-wicket victory added another convincing result to India's strong record in this rivalry. Reports before the match noted that India had not lost to Pakistan in their previous meetings in the competition.
2. Pakistan’s Batting Remains a Major Concern
The latest match exposed a major weakness.
Scoring only 55 runs is not simply a narrow failure. It means the batting unit was unable to handle India's bowling attack for even 20 overs.
Pakistan need better partnerships and greater strike rotation in future matches.
3. India’s Spin Department Made the Difference
The biggest difference between the teams was India's ability to exploit the conditions.
Charani and Rawat combined for six wickets, while Deepti Sharma added two more.
The performance demonstrated that India have several bowling options capable of controlling a match.
India’s Road to the Semi-Finals
The victory was also important for India’s tournament campaign.
India remained unbeaten in the group stage and secured their place in the semi-finals with six points, according to reports following the Pakistan match.
This gives the Indian team considerable confidence heading into the knockout stage.
The team has shown strength in both batting and bowling. More importantly, India have been able to adapt to different match situations.
That balance could become extremely important when the tournament reaches the semi-finals.
What Went Wrong for Pakistan?
Pakistan’s defeat cannot be blamed on one player.
The problem was a collective failure.
Poor Partnership Building
The opening pair made a reasonable start, but Pakistan could not build another meaningful partnership after losing Muneeba.
Weak Response to Spin
India’s spinners controlled the middle overs. Pakistan struggled to rotate the strike and repeatedly lost wickets.
Lack of Batting Depth
Once the top order collapsed, Pakistan had very few options to rebuild the innings.
Pressure Management
The India-Pakistan rivalry naturally creates pressure. Pakistan’s batters appeared unable to handle that pressure after India started taking wickets.
Failure to Adapt
India quickly understood how to use the conditions. Pakistan were unable to make the same adjustment.
These problems need to be addressed before the next match.
What India Did RightIndia’s victory was built on several positive factors.
First, their bowlers maintained discipline. They did not give Pakistan easy scoring opportunities.
Second, the spinners attacked at the right moments.
Third, India did not allow Pakistan to recover after the early wickets.
Finally, India approached the chase calmly.
Although they lost three wickets, they never allowed the low target to create unnecessary pressure.
That combination of aggressive bowling and controlled batting is exactly what a strong tournament team needs.
Can Pakistan Still Win the Women’s Asia Cup?
Wahab Riaz believes they can.
From a purely mathematical perspective, Pakistan's tournament is not necessarily over after one defeat. Their next group match against Hong Kong provides an opportunity to respond.
But Pakistan need much more than confidence.
They need runs.
They need partnerships.
They need their top-order batters to handle quality spin.
And they need their younger players to recover quickly from a difficult night.
A single bad game does not always define a tournament. Cricket can change rapidly, especially in T20 cricket.
However, Pakistan cannot afford another batting collapse.
If they qualify for the knockout stage, they will have to face strong teams again. A repeat of the 55-run performance would almost certainly end their title hopes.
India vs Pakistan: A Reality Check for Both Teams
The result was a reality check for Pakistan and a confidence boost for India.
India demonstrated why they are among the leading contenders for the Women’s Asia Cup.
Their bowling attack was disciplined, their spinners were outstanding, and their chase was controlled.
Pakistan, meanwhile, discovered that talent alone is not enough.
Riaz may believe his team is the best in the tournament, but Pakistan now have to prove that belief on the field.
The next match against Hong Kong will be particularly important because it gives the team an immediate chance to respond.
Conclusion
India’s seven-wicket victory over Pakistan was far more than another win in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
India bowled Pakistan out for just 55, their lowest-ever T20I total, before chasing the target in only 8.4 overs. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were the outstanding performers with the ball, while Harmanpreet Kaur helped India complete the chase.
For Pakistan, the defeat exposed serious batting problems.
Yet Wahab Riaz remains confident that Pakistan can win the tournament. His belief may seem surprising after such a heavy defeat, but the real test will come in Pakistan’s remaining matches.
Pakistan now need to turn confidence into performance.
India, meanwhile, will enter the knockout stage with significant momentum.
The Women’s Asia Cup remains open, but after this performance, India have clearly sent a strong message to the rest of the tournament: they are ready for the challenge.
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